Chapter 950 — A Beauty Pities the Flower-Soul
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 5
Heavenly Venerable Hao drew that thread of consciousness back, his face somewhat darkened, and all that the thread had gone through came flooding at once into his mind. Though Shen Mu had wiped away the memories held in that thread, his Immutability Art was, after all, far from mastery, and great flaws remained in it.
A little probing was enough for him to know how many arts of slaying Mu he had brought into play. "Was it the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha's Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas?
The Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha's cultivation method belongs among the mind-arts.
Though this White-Browed Monk has handed over the Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas, those in the Heavenly Court who can master his mind-art can be counted on the fingers of one hand. " He could not help frowning. The Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha's Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas was exceedingly hard to learn; in former days the White-Browed Monk had never passed it to any outsider, and only now, seeing the situation turn dire, had he of his own accord given it to the Heavenly Court.
Yet cultivating the Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas demanded the highest attainment in the Buddhist way and a surpassing mastery of Buddha-dharma; without that, it could not be learned at all. Though the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha had founded the Buddhist order, he was a junior to Heavenly Venerable Hao, and Heavenly Venerable Hao was naturally not one to spend care and effort delving into the Buddha-dharma. To begin from the very start, who knew how many years would be squandered before he could see through the thousands upon thousands of Buddhist scriptures and learn the Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas.
Of course, the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha had still kept something back. The Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas belongs to the mind-arts within the mind-learning.
Such a method may be learned step by step, through study and comprehension of the sutras, advancing by degrees; with Buddha-nature and Zen mind high enough, one may learn it. Yet it may also be conferred directly in a dream, with no comprehension needed at all.
The two methods have their strengths and weaknesses. The first yields deeper insight and is true mastery; Zhankong Tathagata, the monk Chenghuai, and the Indra Heaven King Buddha belong to the first kind.
They possess Buddha-nature, and the realm of their Zen minds is deep and high.
Shen Mu belongs to the second: the old Buddha passed the way to him directly in a dream, the equivalent of an empowerment handed down in sleep, requiring no comprehension, so that he could wield it at once. But by such a method one only knows how to use it, never why it works, and there is little insight to be had. Shen Mu could not even say clearly how the mind-art of the Scripture of Immeasurable Kalpas was set in motion.
"Master, must we manufacture another Heavenly Venerable Mu? " A demigod stepped forward and bowed in inquiry.
Heavenly Venerable Hao shook his head.
"No need. Shen Mu is a small man, not worth much of my effort. My enemies are not him, but the ancient gods and the other Heavenly Venerables.
The situation is gradually becoming clear, friend and foe stand distinct; if I spend too much effort on Shen Mu, I will lose the great for the small.
" He smiled.
"Kunwu, choose eighteen outstanding disciples and send them to me. I will teach them the Eighteen Arts of Slaying Mu, and let them bide their chance to kill Shen Mu. " That demigod, Kunwu, assented and said, "From what realm should these disciples be chosen? " Heavenly Venerable Hao said, "Not too high.
True God will do. " Nor were there any disciples of higher cultivation in the Hao Heaven Palace; as soon as a disciple under him achieved some measure of cultivation, Heavenly Venerable Hao would send him out to take up important posts in the Heavenly Court and rule the various heavens.